Sideways News

Political activists are happier

Politically active people are more likely to be happy and optimistic, according to new research. If true, this would disprove the common idea that affluence and comfort equal happiness.

Psychologists Malte Klar of University of Göttingen, Germany, and Tim Kasser of Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, started by interviewing two sets of college students about their degree of political engagements and levels of happiness. The result was a clear correlation between optimism and the inclination to demonstrate.

The researchers then brought students together into two groups. One group was set the task to write to the management of the college cafeteria complaining about the food, and the other was asked to request more locally sourced and Fairtrade products. Tested on their wellbeing after the exercise, the students involved in the political debate felt much higher levels of vitality - regardless of their general levels of happiness prior to the experiment.

These results suggest that activism gives people a sense of purpose. It is also possible that the chance to spend time and connect with others provides meaning.

General well-being, Kasser explains, depends on so-called hedonic components, such as the experience of pleasant emotions, as well as eudaimonia, a sense of meaning and direction. "It's the sense that my life is a good life, not because I have a lot of pleasure, but because life is meaningful, because it feels like I'm striving for a higher purpose."

"If you know of a cause that feels truly important to you, get informed, get organised and get active," Klar advises. "Activism might not only change your well-being for the better, but also the world."